Colin Duvall and the Mortals' Quest
by anincandescentwriter
Summary: Colin Duvall and Parker Townsend, friends of Percy Jackson, go on a quest to discover who the son of Poseidon is before the enemy rids the world of the demigods.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Alright, so what happened was life. Last year, I stopped writing a Percy Jackson story because I lost interest and I didn't have the time. Well, I was having a hard time just letting it go. About two weeks ago, I went back through and re-read my earlier work in The Dawn of A New Age. And basically I hated every work I wrote. But I still really loved the premise of it. After sitting down, I came up with a different take on my idea and I think I have something good here. **

**It's different. Originally, I had the first chapter up, but I didn't like the way it ended. It was awkward and weird, so I combined the first three chapters into one big long chapter. The first third is slow but it gets better. **

**So, please give it a chance. That's all I am asking. Enjoy.**

I down the last of my cold coffee as I walk into my first hour class. It's bitter but I welcome the rush of caffeine. After another long night of research, I am struggling to stay awake. Seeing my best friend Percy in the back near our desks, I chuck my empty coffee cup at his head. As it nears him, my smile grows wider. I have never been able to catch Percy off guard but it looks as though today will be the day. And…and…damn! His head whips around so fast all I can see is a blur of black hair. Catching it right before it hits his face, he yells, "Not today, Colin Duvall, not today."

"Damn it. How do you do that every single time?" I ask, completely serious.

"Because I know its coming."

"But how?"

"Dude, you throw something at me every single morning. It doesn't take a genius to catch on." I figure that Percy didn't mean to insult me. He's not like that especially considering he's a bit slower sometimes in the mental department.

"Have you seen Parker yet?" I ask Percy. Since his step-dad works here, Percy is one of the first people in the school.

"I'm right behind you, you idiot." Parker says. "Whoa, you look like death." I hear Percy snicker but when I turn to look at him, he composes himself.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Stayed up way to late last night." I know I should just let my research go and just give up. But I can't. And I don't really know why. Parker just gives me a disapproving look and rushes past me and Percy to put his stuff down.

"Did you guys hear Olympus' news last night? They are planning on having another press conference and this time the major gods are going to be there and stuff." Parker says. I just roll my eyes. Of course I know the news about Olympus. Ever since the Greek gods and goddess came down off their high pedestal and told the mortal world about themselves, I have been obsessed. Any development, major or minor, I know about. That is what my research is about-I'm trying to learn everything about the ancient Greeks. I probably know the most about any topic-past and present-including information about the mysterious all powerful demigods.

"Come on guys. Let's just talk about the baseball game last night. I don't want to talk about any of this stuff anymore." Percy has always been like this. At first, he seemed somewhat curious about the Greeks, but then I guess it wore off and now he never wants anything to do with the Greeks.

"In a minute. Do you think the gods will say anything more about what's going on?" I ask Parker. All us mortals know is that there is a shadow war going on with monsters. I guess it isn't a shadow war anymore. In fact, it is pretty common to see monsters on the street nowadays. But they never seem to bother the mortals.

"I hope so. I don't like being in the dark. What frustrates me most is that they aren't saying anything. I mean, you can't just drop the bomb that not only do Greek gods exist and every other creature ever written about, but also children of the gods are real! That's what is frustrating. You can't tell who they are, not unless they want people to know." It is weird seeing Parker like this. Normally he is all cool and collected but he becomes a bit fired up when it comes to the Greeks. It all started two months ago. That is when Zeus, the head honcho of the Greek world, dropped the bomb that the Greek myths were, in fact, real. Of course, nobody believed him. I mean, who would? Then that led to an angry Zeus, who tore down the Mist, the thingy that kept us mortals from seeing the mythological world. And then came the wide spread panic. People were up in arms, trying to make sense of the world around them. And then they came. The monsters were everywhere. Trust me; it was awesomely terrifying to see a hydra in the park. But they never attacked mortals, never, unless there was a stupid one who engaged in conversation with one. Anyway, after the big shock, things pretty much went back to normal. Sure, there are some people who are completely against the gods and there are some like me who want everything to do with the gods, but most people, like Percy, really don't care all that much.

I hear a bell faintly ringing in my head. It took me a second but then I realize that it was the school bell.

"Alright class. Get out your homework from last night." The teacher says. I sit down. I suppose it is another conversation for another time.

* * *

><p>I trudge through my morning classes and sigh with relief when lunch finally comes around. After grabbing lunch from the cafeteria, I see that Percy and Parker are already sitting at our normal table. Parker is eating the school's chicken sandwich and Percy is looking at his phone.<p>

"Who are you texting Percy? Would it happen to be a Miss Annabeth?" I ask, teasing him. When I met Percy freshman year, he already had a notorious reputation as the kid who blew up the school. Although the records don't officially say anything according to Percy, he was still stuck with that image. Anyway, he was an odd one and if we didn't have an English project, Parker, Percy, and I probably wouldn't have become friends. Percy was always gone and somewhat secretive. He was gone all freshman summer and then he mysteriously left sophomore year only to show up at the beginning of junior year, this year, as if nothing happened. When I asked why he was gone, all he said was that a family emergency popped up. But anyway, now he can't go, like, two minutes without checking up on his girlfriend.

"Shut up Colin." Percy mumbled.

"You seriously need to get a girlfriend." Parker said to me.

"And you are one to talk. Where is yours?" I shoot back to him. Parker just gives me a glare.

"You know that I am too busy right now to get a girlfriend." That's Parker, always the responsible one, putting family before his self. "Why don't you ask someone out?" I glance down at my sad looking meal. There is no way in hell we are going to talk about this now.

"So, Percy, you watched the basketball game last night, right? What did you think of that amazing jump?"

* * *

><p>I zip my jacket up as I walk home. It is a bit colder than I expected. The sky is cloudy and gray, as though it is contemplating whether or not to rain. Or snow. It is cold enough that it probably could.<p>

It is a short walk from school to the apartment where my family lives. I glance at my watch. 3:30 p.m. Mom should still be at work. She won't be home for another four hours. Dad is probably sitting on the couch, watching TV. You would think he would have found work by now. It has been a year and a half since he was laid off, but he still can't seem to find a job. Just one of the many arguments my parents have.

I open the door to the apartment with my key and walk in. Home sweet home.

"Hey, how was school?" My dad calls from the living room area. I grit my teeth and walk to him. We go through this everyday. He asks this question or a variation of it, I give him the same answer and then we ignore each other. I go to my room. He stays here.

"Fine. Didn't really learn anything." I turn around, ready to leave, but then he changes the routine.

"I heard from your brother." Dad says casually. I freeze in my steps.

"Eric? You heard from him? What did he say?" I ask trying to keep my excitement contained.

"He sent a letter. He gets to come home for Thanksgiving." This is big news, great news. I haven't seen my older brother for two years, when he signed up for the army and left.

"Have you told mom yet? Thanksgiving is in three weeks, she is going to go crazy." I tell dad. All of a sudden, today doesn't seem too bad. In fact, it is has been positively great.

"I did. She is ecstatic." My dad actually turns around and smiles, which is a surprise, since I haven't seen him smile in a while.

"That's awesome." I stand there awkwardly, unsure of what to say next. "Anyway, I should probably go do my homework before this big conference."

My room is fairly small, just big enough for a twin sized bed, a small desk, and a dresser. Posters of action movies and sports team cover my walls. My desk is covered in papers and sitting on top of them all is my laptop. Technically, it is not mine. It's Eric's. But I get to use it until he comes back for good. I kick dirty clothes away from my chair and shove loose papers off the desk. I drop my math book on my desk and it makes a satisfying sound as it smacks the desk. I open the book and attempt the first problem, but I can't finish it. I put the pencil down and lean back in my chair, rocking it back and forth. After a few minutes, I look back at the problem, but my eyes stray to the only picture of my family in my entire room. It was taken right before Eric left. It was back when we were a happy family. In the picture Mom and Dad are smiling at each other. Eric is looking straight at the camera, with his arm slung around me. And of course I am copying Eric, looking at the camera with my arm around him. This was before my massive growth spurt. I was still short, battling acne, and I don't even think my brown hair was even brushed. I remember asking Mom if I could go get a haircut. I wanted it buzzed just like Eric's. She let me and I hated it. I was glad that my hair grew back quickly.

But then Eric left and everything seemed to fall apart.

Forcing myself to look away from the picture, I return my attention to the math problem I am attempting. Normally math comes fairly easy to me, but today I can't focus. Somewhere in the back of my mind I wonder if this is how Percy feels all time. However, it is way back there and all I can think about are the Greek gods. Most of everything about them is researchable. The past is the easiest considering the myths are already written and analyzed. So it is easy to put together clues about the present. I can look up monsters and gods and know about them. I know how to defeat a hydra if I see one, or where to hide if one is after me. I know about the gods and their personalities. Sort of. I know what to do to keep on their good side, not that I will ever meet one, but it is still good to be prepared.

No. What is the most frustrating and confusing are the demigods. Parker hit it right on the nose. All the old demigods are dead. Like Theseus and Orion. And information surrounding them is unclear. All that is really known is that they are half human and half god, making them very powerful. They are the heroes, the protectors. And in the 21st century, they are all new. Past myths won't help me at all. So I am hoping that the press conference tonight will clear up the air.

* * *

><p>Its 11:30 p.m. by the time I climb into bed and turn my light off. My head is still reeling. The 12 most powerful Olympians were at the conference tonight. They didn't look like gods though. They were dressed up, but they looked completely normal, human. The only difference was the eye color. They were much to clear. It was slightly unnerving. They answered the normal questions, who they were, what they do, how much do they interfere in human lives, if there was anything dangerous going on.<p>

But with the last question there was some slight concern. Zeus actually hesitated. He started to go say something but then stopped. It was Poseidon who answered. This was the first time he's ever made a public appearance, so it was kind of a big deal for him to speak. But he actually seemed pretty cool. He was the only one not completely dressy. He wore a button down, beachy looking shirt with dark jeans and didn't seem stuck up like the others.

"A few summers ago, there was an uprising. Kronos, the Titan King, was pieced back together and attempted to restore himself to power. And just last summer, the giants were waking up. Both times they were stopped by a group of demigods, led by my son. They fought and won, so there are no threats at this moment." My breath caught as Poseidon continued talking. A war. Two wars that nobody had any idea about. I wasn't the only one interested in this news.

"What do you mean the demigods fought? Where you guys? Why did you not help?" A reporter asked, camera lights flashing at the gods. I saw all 12 of them sit back and glance at one another. They seemed uneasy.

"During the Titan War, we were helping to bring down Typhon, the father of all monsters. He was the storm system that destroyed half of the country. The demigods were left to save Olympus. They defended New York City. And last summer, we were…incapacitated. In order to bring down the giants, there had to be a conflict in our personalities." Athena, a beautiful goddess with gray eyes, explained.

"Please clarify a conflict in personalities." Someone asked.

"No comment. Any other questions?" Zeus said briskly. He seemed to be uptight and controlling and that was just what I got through interviews on TV.

"Yeah. Who are these demigods? How old are they?"

"Well, they aren't the ones from your stories if that is what you are asking." Poseidon said with a smile. My mouth dropped open. A joke. A god just made a joke, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. But then he turned serious. "They are our children. There are just a few because…well, they don't always live very long. The more powerful a demigod is, the more likely they are to be hunted and killed. And unfortunately," at this point, his voice got very soft and his eyes became sad, "my son is the most powerful. I hope that answers your question." By this point, I was almost falling off the couch, as though that could help me get closer to the conference. I thought there would be more questions, but it seemed as though the gods didn't want to talk anymore. And now I am lying awake on my bed, with my mind racing a million miles an hour.

This was more information than I have ever been able to get. Two wars. There have been two wars. Probably with death, I don't know. But it isn't possible to have war without death. And it was demigods who saved everybody and defended them all. Look at what they have done with their life. They are probably only a little older than me and already they have become heroes. And here I am, completely ordinary, with no special set of skills. I will never be as great as they already are. Why wasn't I born a demigod?

* * *

><p>I walk into class in the morning and hold my empty coffee cup. I see Percy at the back again and lift my arm to throw the cup when I remember what Percy said to me yesterday. Slowly, I lower my arm. I need a new strategy. So, instead of throwing something at him, I put the cup in the trash.<p>

When I look up, Percy is staring at me. Somewhat weirded out, I make my way toward him. When I get to my desk, Percy is staring with his unusually green eyes.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I ask him. I dump my backpack in my seat and pull out my math binder. I finally finished the homework as I ate breakfast this morning.

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking." I want to raise an eyebrow, but since I can't, I don't humiliate myself.

"But why were you staring at me?"

"You didn't throw anything at me today." Percy says, as though he can't believe it. I sigh.

"Yes. I remembered what you said yesterday and I put it to use."

"Good, that's good. It's all about strategy. Who knows, maybe one day it could save your life." What is Percy doing? He has never acted this way before, not in the years I have known him. All serious and mentor like.

"Are you sure you are okay?" I ask again.

"Of course I am fine." I just give Percy a look that says, 'if you say so'.

* * *

><p>At lunch, I told Percy that Eric is coming home for Thanksgiving.<p>

"Seriously?" Percy asks.

"Seriously." I say with a smile. I was going to let Parker know at lunch as well, but he hasn't be seen all morning. He wasn't in first hour and Percy hasn't seen him in his other classes. It is unusual for Parker to miss any school, so something big must be going down. That was when I saw him come into the cafeteria, practically running to our table. When he gets to our table, he is out of breath, his backpack is falling off his shoulders, and he seems frazzled.

"Whoa, you okay?" Percy says, taking Parker's arm and guiding him toward a seat.

"Where have you been all day?" I ask.

"I'm fine, just had a lot going on this morning, but I have news to tell you guys." He takes a deep breath and points to my water bottle on my tray. I hand it over immediately and he guzzles the drink. Swallowing, he looks to Percy and then to me.

"Did you watch the press conference last night, with the gods?" I nod and am surprised to see Percy nodding as well. I wouldn't have thought he would even turn the TV on last night since he said Annabeth was going to be over.

"Well, apparently there is a group has been gaining power. They are against these gods and anything associated with them. They don't have a name, but today they staged a protest. My mom was already out of the house and my dad got called out, so I was stuck with the kids this morning until Owen's kindergarten class started." Owen is Parker's little brother who is five years old and Ellie is his sister who is in fifth grade, so Parker gets stuck babysitting them sometimes. His parents trade off on work so they can stay home in the morning with Owen while the other goes to work. His dad is a police officer and his mom is an accountant.

"This group is calling for the eradication of the gods, their children, and the monsters. Anything supernatural must go. Apparently after watching the conference last night, they have deemed the Greek world unsafe for the mortal world and a threat to humanity." I sit there in stunned silence. How could this happen? The monsters don't bother anyone and the gods were protecting us mortals. It's outrageous. But whatever I was thinking was nothing compared to Percy. He sat there with his mouth wide open, in shock like I was. But then he changed. His face hardened. His fists clenched into fists and his eyes looked as though he was having a difficult time controlling something. Then, with no warning he stood up and slammed his hand down on the table. I have never been scared of Percy before, he looks as though he couldn't hurt anything, but today I was terrified.

Percy looked up and saw Parker and I. It was if he could recognize us because his face closed up, wiped of all emotion. "I'm sorry, but I must go call Annabeth. I forgot I promised her I would do that." And then he left. Parker and I watched him retreat in silence.

"What was that?" I asked. The sounds of everybody else eating continued. Nobody noticed what was going on at our table. There were still sounds of laughter and conversation. Nothing had really changed, but I felt as though a mountain had just moved.

"Perhaps he cares more than he lets on." Parker suggests. I shrug and go back to eating my sandwich.

"One question or maybe more. I don't know. How does this group plan to get rid of the gods and the monsters and everything? I thought the gods were immortal." I ask. It's now Parker's turn to shrug.

"I'm not completely sure. My dad said they arrested one guy who gave them some information. And what I'm going to tell you now, you cannot say anything. This is not public information and I only know this because I eavesdropped on my dad." I give Parker my word not to say anything and then he continues. "The group is going to target the demigods. Since they are half human, they can be killed using normal means. The groups hope is that once all the demigods are dead the gods will fade-an immortals way of dying."

"But what kind of logic is that? How do they know they will fade?" I interrupt.

"They don't know. But they are hoping that with no children, the gods will be depressed enough to fade. It's a stupid faith but it is what they believe. Anyway, they are going to try to find the son of Poseidon. Their strategy is that if they take down the strongest, the others will fall into place." I sit back in my seat. It's a lot to take in. It can't work, it can't, but there still is a possibility that it will. The gods have been around since almost the beginning of humanity, and they were the reason that advances had been made.

"We can't allow this to happen." I say to Parker. He nods at my assessment, agreeing with me.

"How are we going to prevent it though?" Parker asks. I think back to last night, at how completely helpless I felt, how useless everything was.

"We are going to find the son of Poseidon."

**A/N: Sorry it is so slow right now. Please give it a chance. I promise it gets better. And I will finish it. Right now I have almost all the chapters done. Updates will be on Mondays and Thursdays. (Please Review, they give me constructive criticism on how to make my writing better.)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. Only Rick Riordan does. **

Parker and I head over to the park after school. Percy left school after lunch and didn't come back so he wasn't with us when we left. We are going to strategize this afternoon. If we were going to find the most powerful demigod ever before the enemies do, then we need a plan. As we walk, I look up at the sky. It is very dark and stormy. Zeus must be mad. Maybe he found out about the new threat. Just as I think this, a big, fat drop of rain hits my face. Before I know it, it is pouring outside. Thunder and lightning are loud and close by. I stop and grab Parker by his arm.

"My place. It is just a block away." I scream at him in an effort to communicate. I take off running, with Parker right behind us. Our feet splash in quick forming puddles and my backpack bounces up and down with every step. We pass the park. As we do, I could have sworn I saw shadows, one of a monster, two others that looked like people, but I pass too quickly to see. This has to be the longest block ever. Finally, I see the apartment. We make it to the building and pass into the warm, dry area. Breathing heavy, Parker and I bend over, catching our breath.

"Well, that was interesting." He says.

"Come on. Elevator's this way." When we enter my room, I grab a couple of towels. Although we were only out there just a bit, we are pretty much soaking wet. It takes me longer to dry my hair than it does Parker to dry his shorter blonde hair. When he's done, I toss the towels in the bathroom and sit at my desk while Parker sits on my bed.

"So…are you sure about this?" Parker asks me. He seems apprehensive. I understand. This isn't normally what he does, but this is something I have wanted for a long time.

"Completely." I say with confidence. "Now first thing we need to do is figure out how to find a demigod." We sit in silence for a bit. I'm not sure what Parker is thinking, but I am remembering all of the research I have done. It doesn't seem to be very helpful at this moment. There's Theseus, Perseus, and Hercules. There are Cyclops, odysseys, and wars. There is too much.

"We need to somehow condense this." Parker says with a start. "What do we know about demigods? Let's start with that." My eyes widen and I grab a piece of paper. It is a brilliant idea. I grab a black sharpie and write demigods at the top of the paper with my cramped handwriting.

"They are children of the gods." I mumble through the cap in my mouth. My hand moves across the crumpled paper. What else? What else?

"They are powerful." Parker puts in. "I mean, they have to be crazy brave to go through wars." I write powerful on the piece of paper. I feel like I'm Sherlock Holmes or something. It is kind of exciting.

"Young." I write on the paper.

"Young? How do you know that?" Parker asks me.

"Yesterday, Poseidon said something about them being hunted down. I'm inferring that it means they don't always live very long." I say. Mr. Blofis would be proud to know that his English lessons are sticking in my brain. Parker obviously feels the same way because he rolls his eyes. We sit in silence again. I tap the sharpie pen on the desk as I try to think.

"Wait a minute." Parker jumps up. "You said that Poseidon said that they were hunted. Hunted by what? Monsters? The ones we sit nowadays? The monsters have been leaving us alone. What if they aren't bothering humans because we are not the ones they want? What if they want the demigods?"

"Oh my god." I say. Parker is totally right. Why didn't I think of it before? It is the only explanation that makes sense. And where there are monsters, there are…

"Demigods. We can find demigods by the monsters." I tell Parker. I grab the Sharpie and write monsters in capital letters. It is our biggest clue. I feel like jumping up and down in excitement. "Now, all we have to do is find a monster. And monsters are certainly easier to find than demigods."

"Hold on. Wait just a moment. You want us to what?" Parker says, his smile fading. Of course Parker would be like this.

"Find a monster. It won't be too difficult." I say to appease him.

"Yes. It will. Maybe not finding the monster, but they are called monsters for a reason. They are big and scary and maybe they won't hurt us from afar, but up close I don't think they will care. I am not dying for this cause!" I swear, sometimes working with Parker is more difficult than hitting Percy with a coffee cup. He needs to do this. I need his help.

"We just need a sword. I have been watching fencing lessons online, so I think we would be pretty good if a fight came up." Parker just stares at me. "Okay, maybe not. But I would be able to hold them off until you and I could run away." It's still not working. "Please. I need your help. I don't think I will be able to do this on my own. And think of all the lives you will be saving." There that should do the trick. I stand there, waiting for his response. Finally, he looks away and curses.

"Okay. Fine. You have me convinced. When should we do this?" I pump my fist in the air and throw my arm around him.

"As soon as possible. I just need to grab a sword somewhere. I'm sure they sell them here in New York. I mean, they got to." A knock on the door startles me. I turned toward it and my dad's head poked in.

"Hey. There is someone here to see you. Two someone's. I think it is your friend Percy." I look over to Parker who just shrugs his shoulders. What would Percy be doing here? I scoot past my dad and make my way to the kitchen. And what do you know? It is Percy, with a blonde haired girl.

"Percy." I say as I get there. He turns around and I almost gasp. He doesn't look good. His right eye is black and blue and swelling fast. There is a long cut on his arm. But as bad as he looks, the girl is even worse. She is leaning on Percy with her arm wrapped around his neck. Her shirt is covered in blood and ankle…I'm pretty sure it is not supposed to be at that angle.

"Hi Colin." Percy says meekly. "Sorry to drop in on you, but you were closer than my apartment. And a taxi would have taken too long." By this time, Parker had joined the kitchen. He was just as shocked as I am.

"Do you have any bandages? I ran out of…medicine and Annabeth needs something right now." Ah. So that is Annabeth, the girl Percy would go the ends of earth for. She's a lot taller than I expected her to be. And she seems more severe than Percy. I wasn't sure how they worked as a couple. But they seemed to make it work. I was pulled out my thinking when Parker hit my shoulder.

"Oh, yeah. Let me go get some stuff." I practically ran out of the room and to the bathroom where all the medicine is kept. I grabbed a bunch of bandages and other medicinal looking objects and ran back to the kitchen. When I came back, Percy had sat Annabeth in a chair, who now had her eyes closed, and Percy was talking.

"Just came out of nowhere. I mean, this guy was huge and strong. He punched me in the face and…pulled out a knife. He slashed me and Annabeth. Somehow, I got off the ground and pulled Annabeth to her feet and we ran. But in the rain, her ankle twisted and now she can't walk. And it was the foot she broke a couple months ago, so I don't know what is going to happen." I set the supplies down next to Percy.

"Thanks" he said. I went over to the sink and found the paper towels. A memory is coming to me. It is of my mom. Whenever I got hurt as a kid, she would wet the towels and press them to the cut to clean them up. So that is what I do. I grab a bunch of paper towels, turn the sink on, and run water all over them. I squeeze them dry and give them to Percy who is starting to pull Annabeth's shirt up just a bit to see the wound. That's when Annabeth's hand shoots up and grabs Percy's.

"I can do it myself Seaweed Brain." Her voice is raspy but it has exasperation in it, as though they have been through this before. Percy gently removes her hand.

"Just shut up and let me take care of you." He says, pressing the cloth to her stomach. There is a lot more blood than I thought there was. I have never seen something like this before.

"You guys have to call the police. There shouldn't be someone out on the streets like this." Parker says in a worried voice. Percy looks up at him, surprised, as though the fact hadn't occurred to him.

"Yeah. I will do that when we get home. First, I need to take care of this."

"Shouldn't you be doing this at a hospital?" Parker persists. I can almost imagine Percy getting annoyed, but he just says in a pleasant voice that it would take too long to get to a hospital and besides it is easier to save the money and do it himself.

"Percy…my backpack. There should be some…medicine…in it." Annabeth says. He looks up at me.

"Colin. Can you check the backpack for the medicine. It is probably in a small sandwich bag and looks like caramel almost." I grab the small black backpack off the floor and sift through the objects. It wasn't what I was expecting. There was only one textbook in there, about architecture I think, but it was in a foreign language. There was an orange t-shirt and something sharp I think, but I didn't look too closely. I finally found what Percy described at the bottom. It was a little squished, but matched the description.

Holding it up, I asked, "Is this it?" Percy nodded and Annabeth grabs it out of my hand. She swallows it with a gag but already seemed better. She sits up straighter and takes the paper towels out of Percy's hand. With all the blood cleaned off, I see the mark. For such an awful lot of blood, the wound is fairly small. She takes a dry paper towel and dries her stomach before putting a band-aid on it. Then she looks at her ankle. Already Percy has straightened the foot out and wrapped it.

"Thanks Seaweed Brain." She says with a laugh and pats his head. I could see Percy smile as he stood up. "I better go put on a different shirt. Don't want to scare the locals. Do you mind if I use your bathroom?" I point in the correct direction. She grabs her backpack and makes her way out of the room. When she is out of eyesight, Percy turns his attention to his bleeding arm. Sighing, he begins wiping up blood again.

"I'm so sorry for doing this to you." Percy apologizes.

"It's no problem." I say, meaning it. But I am still confused. Parker also looks confused, probably still hung up why they didn't go to the hospital. It all turned out okay. If it was really bad, I'm sure Percy would have went straight to the hospital.

"Still, I could be putting you in danger. What if the guy followed us here?" Percy frowns, struggling to put on the bandage.

"I'm sure he didn't. Besides, I'm fairly certain Colin has locks on his door." Parker says. At this point, Annabeth walked back in the room, looking better. She is wearing the orange shirt I saw in her backpack earlier. It said camp half blood. I could also see she is wearing the same necklace Percy wears. She looks at Percy, who was still struggling the band-aid, and makes her way over to him.

"You are such a seaweed brain." She says, fastening the bandage in place. Percy just smiles a goofy smile and kisses her cheek. Laughing, she pushes him back down in his seat and turns to us.

"Hi. I'm Annabeth, Percy's girlfriend. I'm sure he's told you guys about me." When we stay silent, she takes it as her cue to continue. "Anyway, you must be Colin. Thanks for helping us." She says to me. I was stunned. It was almost weird, the way she spoke, as though she knew exactly what she was doing. I could see Parker staring at her, analyzing her.

"Again, no problem." I say. By this point, Percy has cleaned up the dirty table and is wiping it down. "How are you guys going to get home?"

"Walk. Look. It has stopped raining." Annabeth says. And to my surprise, she is right. The sun is out and shining again.

"Oh." I say, feeling awkward.

"Anyway, what are you guys doing?" Percy asks. I look over to Parker, suddenly not wanting to tell Percy our plan. For some reason, it felt wrong to include him.

"Well, we are trying to find..."

"Trying to find my science book." I interrupt. "I misplaced it." I am hoping that they would fall for it. I might have gotten Percy, but Annabeth seems to understand a bit more of what is going on.

"Percy, we should go to your place. I'm sure your mom is worried about you." Annabeth says, grabbing his arm.

"Right. We should leave. Thanks for your help Colin, Parker. See you guys tomorrow." Percy yells over his shoulder as they walked out the door. When it closed, I heard Parker give a sigh. I feel relieved for some reason as well. Something odd was going on.

"Why didn't you tell Percy what we were doing? It is wrong to keep this from him." Parker reprimanded me. Slowly, I turn around.

"I just think Percy doesn't need to know what we are doing. He doesn't like talking about the Greeks, so perhaps it is best to just leave him out. I don't want him to get angry like he did during lunch. What did you think of Annabeth?" I ask him. Parker crosses his arms and stares out the window.

"She was interesting. I don't know what to think of her. Did you see her eyes?"

"No."

"Well, they were gray. Just like Athena's."

**A/N: What I did was combine the first three chapters into the first chapter because they all sort of had awkward cuts. Which makes this story now move faster than I originally wanted it to. But that's okay. It will work. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. There are more chapters to come. Updates are on Monday and Thursdays. If you want to review, please do. Criticism only helps me write better so you are able to read better writing. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. Just Parker and Colin.**

A week later, I found Parker in the hall during passing period. With so much going on around us, nobody would hear anything.

"Hey. I found a sword." I told him in a low voice.

"What? How?" he asked.

"I just found a pawn shop and looked around. It isn't the biggest and it is really heavy, but it should work for the time being. So, want to go monster hunting this afternoon?" I am really excited to go and do this. I feel like I have finally found my calling in life.

"Just for a bit. I have a lot to get done this afternoon and Ellie has a choir concert tonight that I have to go to."

"Awesome. Meet me by my locker after school then." I do a 180 and make my way toward my classroom. For some reason, I was glad that I only have one class with Percy. Ever since he and Annabeth crashed at my apartment, he had been distant. Or maybe I had been distant. I don't know. Perhaps there is another family emergency. I hope it isn't. I know he hasn't had the best life, considering his dad left him when he was a kid and then there was the whole business with him being kidnapped when he was 12. Yeah. He doesn't talk about it at all and Parker and I never bring it up, but sometimes I can't help but wonder. At least he has a better family now. Mr. Blofis is nice and his mom is awesome. Unlike my parents.

They had another fight last night. This time about me, I think. They were yelling about college and future jobs and stuff like that. Then it progressed to money problems and how wouldn't it be nice if dad had a job when Eric comes home? I stayed in my room all night and only came out to grab a granola bar.

I'm counting down the days until Eric comes home. He is scheduled to arrive the morning of Thanksgiving, which is in exactly 17 days. My mom is planning what food she is preparing and she has invited my grandparents and aunts and uncles. I don't know how we are going to fit everybody in our tiny apartment. It's not as though I hate my extended family, it is just that they became a lot to manage. There is always drama going on.

After class, I go through the motions of school, anxious for the end of the day. When it finally came, I found Parker waiting at my locker. He had his backpack slung over his shoulder and he was wearing a nervous looking smile.

"You ready?" I ask him. He just shrugs and says, "As I'll ever be." We walk out the doors, following the flow of students to the sidewalks. We walk the quick walk to my apartment to grab the sword and then head back out to the streets.

"So I was thinking that we start looking near some trees and grass, Central Park?" I say with not a whole lot of confidence. The closer we got to actually doing something, the less sure I became. This was less fact based and more of a close your eyes and point method, something I didn't really want to promote.

"We can try." Parker agreed and we caught the subway to the park. It is not difficult to reach Central Park, but once we get there, the size of it overwhelms me. I haven't been in a while and I forgot just how big the park is, considering it is in the middle of the city. Since we don't really have methodical plan, we just pick a path at random and start walking. The sword is awkward to carry. Because it might attract unwanted attention, I attempt to stuff it in Parker's backpack, but it doesn't really fit well. We wander aimlessly for about half an hour when we spot a monster.

"There!" Parker exclaims, pointing in the distance. Sure enough, past the trees to our right is a monster. I can't really tell what it is from this far away, but we begin making our way to it. I remind Parker, probably to remind myself, that this isn't a killing mission. We weren't here to take the monster down, but rather to observe and see if a demigod comes to the rescue. We trail the monster for a while but nobody ever comes and it doesn't do anything either. From our hiding spot, I can tell that it is a telehine, because it has a head of a dog and flippers for hands. I ask Parker what it is doing here but he doesn't have an answer. I don't either. Finally, Parker ends it.

"I'm sorry Colin, but I really need to get home." He jumps out of the tree and starts heading to the path. I land less gracefully but catch up to him.

"That's alright." I say, sort of sullenly.

"I know today was a bust, but perhaps another time." He said. "What about Thursday after school? I don't think anybody has anything going on, so we should have longer to hunt these monsters." We board the subway and head our separate ways home. However, I am not ready to head home just yet. My parents always get a bit grumpier after a major fight and it is better to stay out of their way for as long as possible.

To waste time, I head down to my favorite café and order a plain bagel and a soda. Once I pay, I grab a seat by the window and stare at my phone. No messages. That's good. I pick at my bagel while playing a silly game. When my bagel is gone and my drink is dry, I clean up my mess and start to make my way home. Nothing says family like an argument.

When I get to the apartment, I can smell something good even from outside the door. When I enter, I see my mom cooking in the kitchen. My dad is watching some show in the living room. I rush into my bedroom and hide the sword under my bed. I'm not quite sure what I would say if my mom or dad found out about it.

"Hi Mom. You are home early." I say. She turns away from the stove and shoves a bowl and spoon in my hands.

"Here, you can mash the potatoes." She brushes her short brown hair from her eyes and returns her attention to the stove. It's been this way for as long as I can remember. If you are in the kitchen while she cooks dinner, you can expect to help out. I never really mind. Don't tell anyone, but sometimes it is calming.

"How was your day?" I ask her conversationally.

"Oh, you know. Spent half the time explaining the difference between highlights and completely dyeing your hair. What about yours?" I set the bowl down on the counter to relieve the ache in my arm from holding it.

"Fine. I went to Central Park with Parker after school today." My arm flexes as I work the spoon harder. "That was a big waste of time."

"Why was it a big waste of time?" Mom asks, in a concerned voice. My arm goes faster.

"Because it didn't result in anything. I thought I had it all figured out and it didn't work!" I feel out of control, as though something is taking over my body. I can't stop moving the spoon and my mind is racing at a million miles an hour. It should have worked! It was a brilliant plan! Yet it fell through. Why?

"Honey. Stop. Colin, you need to stop." My mom's warm hand grabs my wrist and forces me to look at her. I can feel tears in my eyes and I can't help but feel like a disappointment. "What is going on?"

I force myself to look down and lie to her. "Nothing, I'm just really excited for Eric to come home. Parker and I were just looking for a place to go after school and everywhere was crowded. It's fine." And then I go to my room and wallow in self misery. I am never good enough, not for the gods, my friends, Eric, or even my parents.

**A/N: This isn't edited very well, so I am sorry about that. But thank you guys so much. There has been much feedback and remember reviewing only helps you. But I just wanted to let you guys know you mean a lot to me. **

**Anyway, this is going a lot faster than I originally thought it was going to. Remember, updates are on Monday and Thursday.**

**I had kind of forgotten how dark this one sort of went. Tell me what you think. Love it? Hate it? Sorry it was a short chapter. It wasn't just a filler though, because even filler's have meaning. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi guys. I meant to update this earlier in the day, but today has been full of disappointment. I just needed time with my family today. Anyway. Here is chapter 4. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. Rick Riordan does. **

"Yo, Percy. What's up?" I say as I slide into my chair at lunch.

"I'm starving." He looks it too. He is tearing into his cheeseburger as though he hasn't eaten in a week. I wonder if it has anything to do with being assaulted on the streets. Percy has been oddly quiet about it and hasn't mentioned anything to Parker or me at all.

"Yeah, me too." I look down at my sad lunch. Seriously, when will school food get any better. We eat in silence for a minute until Parker joins us. I'm looking forward to this afternoon. It's Thursday, which means Parker and I are going to go look for more monsters. Hopefully today will be better than Monday, meaning we actually see a demigod.

"Do either of you have a pen? I need to finish this worksheet really quick before next hour." Parker asks. I fake gasp.

"What? The great Parker didn't do his homework? How scandalous!" I say. Parker just shoves me.

"There was lots going on last night. I didn't have the time. So seriously, can I borrow a pen or pencil or any other writing device?" I pat down my pockets,thinking I might have one but I just shake my head. Percy starts looking in his backpack and before he can grab one I spy one next to his tray.

"You already have one out." I say and grab the ball point pen that is sitting by Percy. "Here." I hand it to Parker. And then the first weird thing of the day happened. Percy sat up so fast he was a blur. I assume his hand reached out and grabbed the pen from Parker because next thing I knew it was in Percy's hands. It was as though Percy was moving in hyper speed, because the way he moved was almost inhuman.

"Dude, it's just a pen." I say to him. Percy looked at Parker and I and then down to the pen. He seemed conflicted about something, as though he was debating something.

"I'm sorry Parker. I have a pencil somewhere in my backpack. You can use that but not this pen." Percy carefully pocketed the pen and returned searching his backpack. Finally, he pulled out a broken pencil that looked as though it had seen better days.

"Here. Sorry about its shape." Parker slowly took the pencil and started doing his homework. Percy went back to eating and I went back to staring at my lunch. It was awkward. It feels like more and more often there have been moments like this with no explanation. Take the next weird thing for example.

"So have you heard any more about that one group that wants to, like, destroy the Greek gods?" Percy asks. It was like watching that scene in a movie, where the main character walks in the room and everything stops. The music, conversations, everything, and all eyes are on them. That's what this was. I think I literally chocked on my food and Parker dropped the pencil. "What?" Percy said, seeming self-conscious.

"Well, you never really seemed interested in this stuff before. We sort of figured you didn't want to talk about it." Parker explained cautiously. I nodded. Percy stared at us, as though he was struggling to figure something out.

"Okay, yeah, I guess I haven't really wanted to know before. But this is interesting, sort of." Parker then began to explain more of what was going on. I already knew about some of it from our strategy meetings, but for Percy it was all new.

"They finally have a name. Well, it's not really a name, more of an abbreviation, the TTG, Threat to Gods. Silly, I know, but I guess someone down at the station couldn't take it anymore and shortened it. And the police and FBI are trying to keep it out of the press. Something about not wanting to stir up trouble. I think the officials are afraid of what will happen to society if we mortals piss off the gods. And I am inclined to agree with them." Parker says this all carefully. From my research, there was a lot of folklore about the time before the Greek gods back in the ancient Greek time. The world was a dark place and chaos reigned, literally. From what I could tell, humanity flourished under the gods, so it would probably be very bad if the gods did, somehow, die.

"I still have questions about the public. I mean, they can't keep this from the media very long. Why don't they also focus on doing PR for the Greeks? Build support for them, that way the TTG won't be able to gain many allies?" I ask. It's a valid question.

"I suppose that is for the gods to do. And why do you keep calling them the Greeks? The Greeks already exist, they are still a country. Just call them the gods." Parker says. Percy takes in this conversation with a fierce concentration. It looks as though he is trying to memorize word.

"Here's my thing. How is the TTG going to get rid of the monsters. From my understanding, just getting rid of the demigods and hoping the gods go away won't eliminate the monsters. They are still going to be there but without the demigods to fight them." Percy says. I don't have an answer for him and apparently neither does Parker, because he doesn't answer. Percy then stands. "Sorry I have to rush out of here again, but Paul, sorry, Mr. Blofis said he needed to talk to me." He gathers his trash and leaves the lunch room, with Parker and I once again left in shock.

Parker and I were walking along the street after we stopped at my apartment to grab the sword. This was our new plan. We forwent the park and decided we would stick to the streets, looking in alleys for the monsters and demigods. So far there was no success. Parker and I were just talking, him about how in the past month his family has been suffocating him more and more, me about how Eric was coming home and how my parents were arguing more and more. Then the conversation drifted to the gods and the demigods.

"What do you think those two wars were about?" I ask Parker. He shrugs and kicks a rock away.

"The Titans and the Giants. That's what Poseidon said."

"But what does that mean?" I say. It just doesn't make much sense. And how could it have been hidden from us?

"I don't know. I'm more interested in who this big hero is supposed to be. The most powerful demigod. Must be a lot to carry."

"Must be. Imagine having to fight two wars and then be expected to win them as well. What do you think makes him the most powerful demigod ever?" Parker kicks another rock.

"He's the son of Poseidon, one of the big three, so he is already pretty powerful. Do you think demigods get powers like their parents have?"

"Maybe." I say. Then I change the conversation. "Has Percy been acting strange?" Parker snorts.

"You noticed? I thought I was the only one. You do realize that Percy wasn't around when I told you about TTG's plan to destroy the monsters and gods and demigods. You, me, and the authorities are the only ones who know their plan, so how did Percy know?" My eyes widen. I hadn't thought of it at the time, but Parker was completely right. Besides being my best friend, this is why it is important for him to be helping me track down the monsters. He paid attention to detail, like he did now, when he grabbed by arm.

"Colin." It was a whisper. "To your right." Slowly, I turn my head right and to my dismay, there is a great big black dog in the formerly empty alley. And when I say big dog, I mean the size of a semi-truck.

"It's a hellhound." I breathe quietly. "Back up slowly and keep moving." This was way out of my league. I had absolutely no sword skills, so we were dead meat if we provoked it. The only sound I heard my own ragged breathing and I only saw the monster on our right side. We were just out of sight when the hellhound stuck it's head up in the air and sniffed. Then it turned its head straight toward us.

"Run!" I scream and begin running down the street with Parker right beside me. We zigzagged through pedestrians with the great big dog right on our tails. Fortunately, the hellhound left the others alone. Unfortunately, it kept up with us.

"Where do we go?" Parker yells at me.

"I don't know!" I scream back.

"Think fast, because I don't feel like dying today!" We kept running, but the hellhound was gaining. Finally, we turned onto an abandoned street. We made it to the end before realizing there was a blockade.

"This isn't good." I mutter, out of breath. Parker is bent over, hands on his knees, gasping for breath. "I'm sorry Parker. I didn't expect this to happen." He just waves a hand at me, as though telling me that it will be okay. Seeing no other choice, I turn and face the hellhound. It's at the end of the street, so now we are truly blocked in. I free the sword from my backpack and hold it in front of me, our last defense. Looking up at the sky, I send a prayer to the gods, my first one ever. Please, I say, don't let us die.

As though sensing easy prey now, the oversized dog takes it time walking down the street with an expression that I can only describe as a sadistic smile. The sword feels awkward in my arm. It's too heavy and I can't control it. I wave it a few times in front of Parker and I, hoping we look threatening. That just seems to make the hellhound even more excited. It's almost in front of us. And then it pounces.

**A/N: First cliffhanger! Woohoo! I'm not too pleased, because this was supposed to be later in the story but because the first three chapters are combined into one chapter now, everything moves really fast. I don't like it. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Not much I can really do about it now. **

**What do you guys think of Colin? And Parker? Are they wise or dumb? I want to know. I'm working on characterization of characters. What do you guys think needs to be better to make them seem more real? **

**Thanks to all who reviewed. It means a lot to me. **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi guys. It's a short one today. Thanks to all the reviewers. A lot of you are guests so I can't really say anything to you. But thanks. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. Only Rick Riordan does. **

"Ahhh!" I scream.

"Ahhh!" Parker mimics me. We cower behind the wavering sword and cling to the barrier behind us. I'm sorry Mom. I'm sorry Eric. This was it, the end for us.

"Are you just going to stand there and scream or are you going to run?" A voice says. It sounds strained. Looking up, it takes a moment for my eyes to focus on what is going on. There is a boy, someone who looks younger than Parker and I, dressed in all black. He has the hellhound turned around to face him and his hands are out. It looks as though the boy is pushing the dog into obeying without actually touching it.

"Seriously! Run, now! I don't know how much longer I can keep this up." The boy says. Sweat is pouring down his face and all I can do is stand there. I'm jolted out of my trance like state when Parker jerks my arm.

"Come on! Let's go!" He takes off down the side of the street, pulling me along. I follow as best I can while still watching the boy. We finally reach the end of the street. The boy takes a quick look back, making sure we are out of the way. When he sees that we are, he moves his hands and pulls out a sword. It's black, sharp, and looks deadly, but the boy just twirls in the air confidently.

"And how did you get out? Was this my dad's idea of a test? Oh well. Guess you just have to go." I hear the boy say. Is he taunting the monster? Parker and I stop for a moment, watching the boy. His skills are way beyond what I have watched online. The blade is a blur as is the boy.

"Colin, we need to get out here." I nod reluctantly, seeing the truth in it, yet unwilling to leave our only lead. Parker sets a fast pace, anxious to leave the fighting. Me? I wanted to talk to the guy.

"Do you think he was a demigod?" I ask.

"I don't know."

"I think he was. Where did he come from?"

"I don't know."

"They have to somehow know what is going on. Why did the hellhound follow us?"

"I don't know."

"Because monsters normally leave us alone. But hey. Today was a success. Now we know what to look for." Parker stopped and turned to face me abruptly. Immediately, I could tell he was freaked out. His eyes were wide and skittish. He looked from side to side, never landing on one place. And his hands were shaking.

"Look. I don't think we should do this anymore." Parker was deadly serious.

"But…if we don't do this, then the demigods will die." I say. I couldn't believe him. How could he condemn an entire race based on who their parents were? It wasn't right.

"I know, and the TTG should let it go. But we are just teenagers, we can't fight. This isn't our responsibility."

"But the demigods fight." I say, my voice getting smaller.

"COLIN! We almost died! We almost died today and that is all you can say? It is not our job to protect the demigods. Let the police do their job. Let's just go home and forget all about this." Parker all but yelled at me. And I got it. I really did. He wasn't cut out for this life, the life of danger and death. I could tell from the shaking limbs. But me? I was made for this world. I was drunk on adrenaline, high on life. And I was going to help those demigods.

oOoOo

I slammed the door shut when I walked in. There was no sound of mom cooking in the kitchen today. There was no sound of TV in the living room. It was just me, breathing loud against the door. Briefly I wonder where dad is, but then I realize I can get the TV all to myself.

I sit on the worn couch and turn on some sitcom that I half listen to. Slowly, I feel the exhaustion sink into my bones. Earlier I wanted to laugh; now I want to cry. Oh my god. I almost died today. The thought finally sinks in and I can't believe I just brushed it off. How could I have been so stupid as to believe I could protect myself with a sword that I can barely hold? And I stupidly brought Parker into the plan. I am an idiot. From somewhere far away I hear the phone ringing. I push myself off the warm, comforting couch slowly, not really wanting to answer it. But I'm glad I do.

"Hello?" I say into the receiver.

"Colin? Is that you?" I almost jump and drop the phone.

"Eric?" I ask tentatively.

"Yep. It is me." My mouth opens and closes, not quite sure what to say.

"But how?" I say. Eric just laughs.

"I found the time. Not that I have much at this moment. Anyway, I just wanted to confirm with you guys about Thanksgiving. You know where to pick me up?" I relay the information and he makes me write it down just so we don't forget. It is weird to speak to Eric. He doesn't call often. But when he does his voice sounds far away and close all at once, like he is just over in another room.

"Mom will be sorry she missed you." I tell him.

"I bet so." There is a silence but I can still hear him breathing. Then I hear a sound, like an alarm of sorts.

"What is that?" I ask him.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just telling us to get up. I have to go. Tell mom and dad I love them and that I will see you guys very soon. Just a few more weeks." Eric tells me. And then he is gone.

**A/N: Thank you guys so very much for your support. It means a lot. Answers are coming, I promise. And I feel as though you will be pleasantly surprised with what happens later. **

**Anyway, reviews are appreciated. Have a great week!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I am so, so sorry guys. I completely meant to have this up last night but this has been a very bad week for me. Don't worry though. I am going to turn it around and have a chapter for you guys on Monday. **

**This might be my favorite chapter so far. Enjoy guys. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. Rick Riordan does. **

I am eager to get to school in the morning. After my parents came home last night, I told them about Eric's call. Then Mom and Dad started yelling at each other, why wasn't the other one home, what if I wasn't home to answer the call, those kinds of things. And then Dad said he was out at a job interview and he thought he was doing a good thing. That shut Mom up for a minute, but then she found some other thing to criticize, why didn't he trust her, why didn't he tell her that he was looking for a job. I just slipped away quietly and waited for the morning.

When I walk into first hour, I'm surprised to see Parker and Percy talking. Normally Parker comes in last. But today this works out in my favor. Percy's back is to me, so he can't see me. For the past few weeks I have taken Percy's advice and not thrown my coffee cup at him. Instead I have done nothing, attempting to lure him into a false security. I walk as quietly as I can to Percy. I get closer and closer to Percy and as I am about to reach out, Percy turns around to face me. His hands grab my arms and suddenly I am turned around and incapacitated.

"Oh. Sorry Colin." Percy says, releasing me immediately. I rub my wrists as I face Parker and Percy again. That really hurt. I have never really noticed how strong Percy was before.

"That's fine." I say to him, then I speak to Parker. "You told him." Parker puts his hands up in a surrender fashion.

"No I didn't."

"He didn't." Percy agreed. "You just weren't as quiet as you thought you were." I frown. That wasn't quite true. When he grabbed me, Percy seemed surprised that it was me. If he had known it was me, he wouldn't have apologized. But I don't say anything. "I'm glad you are here though. I need to talk to guys about something. I was going to wait until lunch but since you are both here." Percy trails off and shrugs.

"I want in." He says. I am very confused. Wants in what?

"What are you talking about?" Parker asks.

"Your demigod/monster hunting expedition." I gulp nervously. How does he know that? "Oh, come on guys. You weren't very subtle when you were talking about it earlier. It sounds like fun and I want in." I glance over to Parker. This is very unexpected. He stares back at me, unsure of what to say.

"Okay." I say. "Let's say that we are hunting monsters. Why do you want in?"

"Because it sounds interesting. And three is better than two." He makes a valid point. Maybe if Percy was with us yesterday we wouldn't have almost died. But it doesn't change the fact that we did almost die.

"Percy. What we were doing…It was dumb and risky. We shouldn't have done it at all. And we aren't going to do it again. If we were, you would be welcome." Parker says, applying some common sense. Percy nods, as though he understands.

"I thought we were friends though. Why didn't you just tell me earlier?" Percy actually sounds hurt. His green eyes look upset and for the first time they look old, like they have seen too much.

"We…I thought you weren't interested in the gods. I thought it would be best to leave you out." I say, ashamed when I say it. This wasn't supposed to happen. Percy accepts the answer though, but then excuses himself. Parker and I watch him walk out the classroom. This seems to have become a common sight. That's when I realize that I never really see Percy outside of school anymore. He comes and goes in my life like a tidal wave. He's here all at once and then recedes, never giving up his secrets.

"I didn't expect that." Parker says.

"Me neither."

oOoOo

Percy doesn't come back to class. Or come to lunch. I think he just left. The guilt presses down on me. I can't believe myself. I acted like a jerk and now it is coming back to bite me. I meet Parker at his locker after school.

"Do you mind if I walk with you?" I ask. Parker shrugs on a coat and fills up his backpack with books.

"Sure. But you will have to come with me to the elementary school. I need to pick up Owen and Ellie." Together we walk out of school and into the blustering wind. It hasn't snowed yet this year, but it sure feels like it will with every passing day.

"You were right." I say. "It was a dumb idea. I'm sorry for dragging you into the whole thing." Our backpacks bounce against our backs as we walk.

"I helped you out of my own free will. There's nothing to apologize for. Besides, now we can laugh. You looked ridiculous yesterday, waving that sword around." He smiles.

"Yeah, well you should have heard yourself. You sounded like a little girl about to wet her pants. 'Ahh! Somebody! Help!'" I shriek in a higher voice. Parker shoves me, laughing along with me.

"Oh, shut up." Parker tells me. We continue laughing.

"What about our rescuer? Did you see how he fought? It was amazing." I breathe.

"Sounds like somebody has a crush." Parker teases.

"No. No, no, no, no, no. I do not."

"He doth protest too mucheth."

"You made that word up." I complain, punching his shoulder.

"It's Shakespeare. You are allowed to make words up." We are getting closer and closer to the school. I actually see it in the distance. This is good, because my hands are freezing. I need to start remembering thicker gloves. We turn a corner and the playground comes into view. Ah. Memories. I haven't been back to the elementary school since I left in 5th grade. We start walking toward the back doors, where Owen and Ellie are supposed to meet us. I am lost in my head, thinking of the time when I tried to swing so high I would go around the bar at the top, when Parker suddenly stills. His arm reaches out to me, stopping me in my path.

"Look." He says. I stare ahead, looking left to right, when I see it.

There is a monster and I don't have to squint to tell what it is. It was a lion with a women's body, a sphinx.

"Oh my gods." I say. I don't even notice when I use the plural of god. "What are we going to do?"

"We can't do anything." Parker says. "We don't have a weapon, we don't even know how to use a weapon." We stare at the playground. The Sphinx is climbing up the stairs on the tower. I glance over to the door where the kids are gathered. I'm glad the teachers had the sense to close the door so they can't get out and the monster can't get in. Although monsters are supposed to leave mortals alone, they didn't yesterday, so it's good there isn't any chance being taken. And then the screams come.

My head whips around. I don't know where they are coming from. They are too loud to be coming from inside the school, which means…they are coming from outside. Where? Where are they coming from? The screams get louder. I can make out two different pitches. Oh no. There are two people out here. I look up at the Sphinx to see that she has moved. Now I see two small figures at the top of the tower.

"Parker. We need to help them." I say. Parker nods and we slowly creep closer. I have no idea what we are going to do, but there are two children out by the Sphinx and we can't let that happen. The Sphinx moves again and the kids are blocked from our view, but this time we are within earshot. I am hoping to hear the kids, instead I hear the most unexpected sound.

"Where is the demigod?" She hisses. It is the Sphinx. The Sphinx is talking. Parker looks at me with wide eyes. I stare back.

"I don't know!" a girl screams. "I don't know what you are talking about!" Parker just about bolts up at the sound of her voice, but I grab him. He struggles against me but then goes slack. He bends down to the gravel. Carefully, he writes one word. Ellie. Understanding floods through me. The two kids are Ellie and Owen, Parker's siblings. Crap. Double crap. My theory is confirmed when the Sphinx moves and there they are; Ellie without a coat, her blonde hair in ringlets and standing in front of Owen, shielding him from the monster. I keep holding onto Parker. I silently try to tell him that we are no good at this moment; that we need to wait if we are to help them.

"Yes you do. I smell demigod. It's faint, but it is there. Tell me where he is!" The Sphinx roars. Owen screams and Ellie stands even closer to him.

"I don't know. Please leave us alone!"

"That's too bad. I was hoping to keep you for testing. At least I get a meal now!" The Sphinx hisses. Then I let go of Parker. He shoots off like a rocket.

"Hey. Let them go!" He yells. The Sphinx whips around.

"Well, if it isn't the two bumbling fools who think they will win against monsters." Her tail thumps the tower, narrowly missing Ellie and Owen.

"Yep. That's us. Can't stay away from the danger." I taunt the monster. "But I bet you aren't so bad are you? You don't look so dangerous." I glance at Parker, hoping he understands what I am doing. He nods his head once, getting it. "You know. I bet I could take you right here, without any weapons." The Sphinx snarls.

"Do not underestimate me, mortal. I am more powerful than you think I am!" She hisses. I spread my arms wide.

"Then come teach me a lesson!" I shout. The Sphinx jumps down from the playground and lands about 30 feet from me. A brief feeling of satisfaction runs through me but it doesn't last long. My plan worked but now I was the one in danger. I see Parker run to the playground, motioning for Ellie and Owen to come down and to be quiet. They move quickly until they are at the school doors, where they open and welcome the kids inside. But Parker refuses to come in. He comes back to face the Sphinx with me.

"What do we do now?" He shouts at me.

"I don't know!" I reply, staring at the monster that hasn't moved. She looks at Parker and I, then takes a great big sniff.

"I know." She says. "You will die! But only after you answer a few of my questions!" That gets me to move. I run towards Parker and we go toward the playground.

"To the slide." I grunt, breathing hard. We climb quickly to the slide. I don't know what this plan is, I don't know why the slide, but if you are going to die, it might as well be somewhere fun.

"Don't think you can run. I smell demigod on you guys. Oh, and it is certainly stronger than those two puny kids." Parker and I had reached the top of the slide when she said that.

"What do you mean by that?" He shouts. The Sphinx comes closer, taking her time. She smiles a predatory smile.

"You are fools if you don't know. Ha! Not quite so smart now are we? You have been hanging out with a demigod. I can smell him on you. Oh yes. And I know this scent quite well. You see he killed me awhile back. But now I am out of Tartarus and I am going to get my revenge." I can feel Parker shaking beside me. Or maybe that's me. I don't know anymore.

"A demigod killed you?" I squeak, not sounding heroic at all. Maybe I was wrong about demigods. Maybe it isn't the kind of life I want to have.

"Yep. And you smell like him." She inches closer to us, her tail waving in excitement.

"Smell like whom?" Parker asks.

"Like the son of the sea god, of course. Now where is he? Where is Perseus Jackson?" My legs just about collapse at the mention of Percy's full name. How does she know him? What does this mean? What is going on? I want to ask all these questions, but there is no time.

"Look. We don't know anyone by that name." Parker insists. "We have no idea what you are talking about. Sorry for bothering you but if you don't mind, we are going to go now." The Sphinx jumps and roars right in our faces.

"STOP LYING! Now, where is he?" Oh gods, we are going to die. We are going to die and all I can think about right now is that she must have her facts wrong, because Percy can't be a demigod; that and the fact that her breath smells like a sewer.

"HEY! Leave my friends alone!" A voice shouts from below. The Sphinx smiles victoriously. She turns slowly and then leaps off, leaving Parker and I frozen in shock. It is difficult to see what is going on down there but there are a lot of taunts and yells. I nearly jump out of my body when a finger taps me on my shoulder.

"Come on. We need to get of this." A girl with blonde hair says. It takes me a minute to process who she is. It is Annabeth, Percy's girlfriend. She is crouching on the slide with a serious expression on her face. It was her who poked me.

"What is going on?" I say stupidly.

"There will be time for answers later, but first you guys need to come down." Parker swallows nervously and sits on the slide. I follow, still confused. There are sounds of a battle going on; I swear there must be a whole army out there. But when I reach the bottom, I see Annabeth sprint off towards the Sphinx.

"I will take no more tests!" She screams. What kind of war cry is that? I see her get closer, take out a knife, and throw it at the monster. It sticks in the back side and the Sphinx wails. That's when I see a dark haired person run full throttle at the monster and stab the Sphinx in the heart with a sword. The Sphinx freezes, and then crumples to dust. The black haired person embraces Annabeth. She smiles and kisses the person. My jaw drops in disgust I can't believe it. Annabeth is cheating on Percy. He is going to be so upset.

Annabeth points in our direction and the black haired person looks up. He doesn't seem thrilled as they make our way over to Parker and me. It takes me a moment to muddle through my shock filled brain but then I understand. Annabeth isn't cheating on Percy with the black haired man, because the black haired person is Percy Jackson.

**A/N: So, what do you guys think? I am so excited I actually got to this chapter because, ahh, it is what I have always wanted. And I thought this was a tricky chapter. The next is giving me so much grief, combined with the fact that I haven't had any time to write because of school. Whoever said senior year was easy is lying. **

**Anyway, thanks so much for the reviews. They help me out and they help you. Have a great weekend. **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey Guys. So, no reviews on the last chapter. Which is fine, just surprising. Anyway, this is the chapter that was giving me the most grief to get right. I kept changing things here and there so I hope it makes sense. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. Rick Riordan does.**

Parker and I were sitting in Percy's living room. Percy and Annabeth were gone, cleaning up somewhere else, so it was just us two. It was deathly silent in the room. My legs were bouncing up and down. My hands were clasped together, unsure of what they were supposed to do.

Once I realized it was Percy who killed the monster, I had a million and one questions to ask him. But as soon as I started to talk, he put his hands up, motioning me to be silent. I thought he was going to have some big explanation for what just happened, but all said was for Parker to get Ellie and Owen. As we waited for them, I took in Percy and Annabeth's appearance. Annabeth had a cut on her face and shoulder, but she was walking fine, unlike last time I saw her. Percy was cut up and dirty but seemed fine as well. What changed were his eyes. Which is weird for a guy to notice, but it would be hard to miss them. They were sad and almost helpless looking, sort of what they looked like this morning, but this time with an edge in them. They were dangerous.

Parker came back with Ellie and Owen and after making certain they weren't hurt, Percy and Annabeth walked them back to Parker's apartment. And not one word was said about what happened. Once we made it to Parker's place, Percy finally talked.

"You guys need to come back with me." I nodded that I would and after a moment, Parker agreed as well. However, it was another silent walk. Finally, Percy pointed us to the living room and told us that he and Annabeth would be right back, which leaves us back to the present.

Annabeth was the first one back. She looked better, cleaner.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" She said. I told her no but Parker wanted some water. While she was busy in the kitchen I try to talk to Parker.

"Is this for real?" I said. Parker shrugs his shoulders and said "I guess so." I'm not quite so sure. I kept waiting for someone to jump out at me and yell 'April Fools'. Except it wasn't April.

Annabeth came out of the kitchen area with four glasses of water and a plate of blue cookies. She hands a glass to me and Parker. I give her a confused look.

"You need hydration. And cookies." She said with a smile. I look at the plate of cookies on the table and they stare at me. I can't help myself. I take one.

"What's going on?" I say, with my mouth full of cookie. Annabeth snickers and says "Gods, you are just like Percy." That gets my attention. I swallow the cookie and guzzle some water.

"What's the mean?"

"Oh, you both like food, that's all." She says, but I have the feeling that isn't the end.

"Where is Percy?" Parker asks. He too, has a cookie in his hand.

"Taking a shower. He needed to clean up pretty badly. But he should be out any minute." Annabeth was quiet and relaxed, not at all how I was feeling. I felt like a tightly coiled spring getting wound tighter with every passing second. After what seemed like an eternity, Percy finally came out. He looks better. He even has a smile on his face, which only got bigger when he spied the cookies. Taking two, he shoved them in his mouth.

"You are disgusting." Annabeth says, arms crossed. "How are you?" Percy swallows noisily and drinks some water.

"Rejuvenated." Parker looks at me and I can almost tell what he is thinking. We didn't come here to eat cookies and make small talk. We are here for answers.

"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" I ask. Annabeth stares at Percy, as though saying 'They are your friends. You figure it out.'

"I…uh…don't know what to say." Percy says, looking nervous. Annabeth gives an exasperated sigh. Parker is silent. Me? I'm really confused.

"Start at the beginning." Parker offers.

"The beginning beginning?" Percys says. "Well, you asked for it. Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was Chaos…"

"Not that." I interrupt. At least Percy was still Percy.

"Fine. Let's start with who I am. I am a demigod. So is Annabeth." He says simply. Parker rolls his eyes. "Yes. We gathered. But who are you?"

"Annabeth is the daughter of Athena. I am the son of Poseidon. Want to see a cool trick?" Percy says with a gleam in his eyes. He looks at the table with the cups of water on it. After a moment, he holds out his hand and slowly turns it, closing his fingers one by one. Then the water from all four cups starts to rise and it meets in the middle, over the cookies. It's beautiful, surreal, and inhuman. I look back to Percy who has a peaceful smile on his face. His hand drops and the water goes back into the cups, not one drop spilled.

"That was amazing." I say. I'm sure I look like an idiot, with my mouth hanging open and everything.

"That's nothing." Percy says. Annabeth shoves his shoulder.

"Stop boasting." She says.

"I'm not. I'm telling the truth."

"So it's true then." Parker says in a hoarse voice. "You really are the most powerful demigod ever?" My mind snaps right back into focus when he says that. I had forgotten that. Percy seemed too as well. His arm came up and he scratches the back of his head.

"I wouldn't go that far. I'm powerful but not the greatest." Then Percy launched into his story, of how he found out he was a demigod when he was 12 and how things just escalated from there. He talked of how he was expected to retrieve Zeus' lightning bolt or else World War Three would have fallen, of how he went to the Sea of Monsters, and holding up the sky. He spoke of the Labyrinth, and briefly mentioned the Titan War. He barely said anything about the Giant War. In all, he shared what he had to, left out all the rest.

"So, last year when you were…kidnapped…" I trail off, not quite sure what to say. Percy smirked.

"It truly was a family emergency. My aunt Hera is crazy." I couldn't quite believe what Percy just said. How could he just insult the gods and not get blasted to pieces? But then again, Percy normally didn't have a filter.

"You have a sword?" Parker asks. Percy nods and pulls a pen out of his pocket, the same pen he freaked over. He uncapped it and I jumped back. A three foot long sword appeared in its place, shining bronze and giving off a powerful aura.

"I get why you didn't want Parker to use this pen earlier." I joke. Percy laughs.

"I bet he can use it better than you can, Colin." Parker says.

"Parker, shut up." I glare, all of a sudden feeling as though I shouldn't mention our escapades over the past few days. Parker gets the message and looks down. It appears Annabeth did as well. She sits forward on the couch.

"That's part of what we need to discuss." She says in a reasonable voice. "We heard about your adventures." I could tell she was disapproving of what we doing, but I don't understand how she could be upset with us. All we were trying to do was save her.

"I don't know what you are talking about." I say, denying her statement.

"Don't lie. Daughter of Athena remember. And Nico told on you."

"Nico? Who's Nico?" Parker asks.

"My cousin. Son of Hades." Percy says. "I believe you two ran into him yesterday when you met a Hellhound." I swallow nervously. So that's who the kid was, the one with mad skills. I glance at Percy. I guess there isn't any point in hiding anything anymore. So Parker and I tell Annabeth and Percy everything that we did.

"I hope you know how incredibly stupid you two are!" Annabeth all but shouts at us. "How could you possibly think you could go monster hunting with no training? It is suicide and you are lucky to even be alive. Just be glad Nico got there in time." Annabeth looked as though she could have gone on longer, chewing Parker and I out, but Percy gave a small cough.

"Maybe I should do the talking?" He said gently to her. Annabeth huffed and crossed her arms, but grudgingly gave up the talking rights. "That was stupid. Stupid but brave." He starts out. "Don't ever do it again."

"Don't worry. We won't." Parker says. Percy looks at him with serious eyes, evaluating his response. Then he turns to me.

"You need sword lessons. And a real sword." He told me. Surprised, I have nothing to say. Nothing except, "It is a real sword." Percy laughs.

"Maybe but it won't do you any good. It won't kill the monsters. All you will do is cut off your own arm." Annabeth stops him from talking. She turns his face to hers and she puts a magazine in front of their faces, so all Parker and I can hear is hushed whispering. Parker raises his eyebrows at me and all I can do is shrug. Again. They finish their conversation and turn to me. Annabeth is nervous, Percy is excited.

"Annabeth doesn't think I should tell you any more, secrecy and all because of the TTG." Annabeth pokes Percy, as though she didn't want him to say that. Percy just rolls his eyes. "I think you can be trusted. However, we still need you guys to meet with Chiron. He will know what to do. Are you up for a weekend road trip? You need to visit camp."

**A/N: This wasn't going where I was expecting it to go. But oh well. Unfortunately, this is the last pre-written chapter I have. Fortunately, I have a half day coming up Thursday, so I will be able to whip something up for an update that night.**

**Please review, even if it's only a few words. They only help you. **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I do not own Percy Jackson. Rick Riordan does. **

Mr. Blofis' car was old and a bit dented in the front but Percy is unconcerned. He steals the keys from the hook by the door and motions for us to all follow him.

"Where exactly is this camp?" Parker asks, sounding nervous. Percy accelerates the car and says in a happy voice to him, "Not too far." It feels awkward at first, but all four of us are soon able to make light conversation. Apparently Annabeth is going to study architecture and they are going to live in a place called New Rome.

It isn't until we drive out of the city that I begin to worry. I mean, I don't really know much about Percy, although he's been a good friend. I have to remind myself that I trust Percy. It's only when he pulls over on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere that I question is sanity.

"Um…Percy? Are we in the right place?" I ask tentatively.

"Absolutely." When he says this, I see Percy visibly relax. His shoulders suddenly look less tense and his eyes become happier. When he sees Annabeth, he tosses her the keys and she gets back in the car and drives away. What is she doing? All three of us watch silently until Annabeth is out of sight and all I can hear is the wind.

I look around. There is nothing; just a big hill with extremely tall grass and a great big tree. Wait. What is that? Is that a dragon? I squint my eyes, trying to see what is at the top.

"Come on guys. Let's get going. Camp is this way." Percy yells over his shoulder and starts his way up the hill. I can feel my heart rate accelerating as we make our way up, whether that is from the excitement or the exercise, I don't know. Probably both.

"Where did Annabeth go?" Parker asks, not sounding out of breath.

"To camp." Percy says.

"Why does she get to drive and we get to hike?" I complain to Percy.

"The car has to go somewhere. Paul would kill me if his car got towed." Percy starts to explain. "And since you are new, you need to come in the old fashion way. It is how I got to camp the first time." I remember him vaguely saying something about how the Minotaur challenged him right before he made it to camp. Finally, we make it to the top of the hill. What I saw took my breath away.

I was right. A gold dragon is curled around the big tree, sleeping. I see Percy smile at it fondly and he tells Parker and I to ignore it. Then I look out beyond the tree. A glittering valley lies below. A big white house is at the center. What looks like cabins were arranged somewhat haphazardly, as if they were running out of room. A lake to the left has people fishing and the Atlantic Ocean lies to the right. A massive forest sprawls out beyond the borders. I can only imagine living here. It is what I imagine paradise to look like. "It looks amazing." Parker says.

Percy starts down the valley and Parker and I try to follow, but something stops us. It is as if there is a gigantic invisible glass wall separating us. I struggle against it a few times and see Parker doing the same. How was Percy able to cross the border? I suppose our faces were fairly hysterical because Percy is laughing.

"Guys, I need to give you permission to enter camp." Parker and I stare at him, uncomprehending. "Before the mist lifted, no mortal saw the camp, even if they were standing where you are. Now everyone can see, but few rarely make their way up. Our last line of defense is the border. It keeps out the unwanted monsters and mortals. Any demigod or god is able to pass through, but other people need permission, such as yourselves." Percy stops talking and takes a deep breath. He stands straighter and speaks with power.

"I, Perseus Jackson, give Colin Duvall and Parker Townsend permission to enter Camp Half Blood." There is thunder in the distance and I tentatively put one foot out. This time it meets no resistance and step into Camp Half Blood.

As we make our way down the hill, Percy explains what each cabin is and how they came to be constructed. It is all I can do to keep my jaw closed. He points out the armory and forges from above. I can see smoke billowing out of a building. Over to the left he explains that they practice sword fights there. But it isn't until we get closer that we see our first person.

"Hey Percy." This guy says. "How's life? Who are these people? More demigods for us?" The guy has blonde hair and a mischievous looking face. Percy fist bumps the guy.

"Hey Travis. These are my friends, Colin and Parker." I dutifully raise my hand when Percy says my name. "They are mortal, not demigods." I can't help but feel as rush of shame and disappointment when Percy explains who we are. I can tell that throws Travis for a loop because he looks surprised.

"Oh. Okay. I suppose you are looking for Chiron then?" Percy nods and Travis points in the direction of the big house. "He's in there. You are lucky. He and Mr. D just finished a game of pinochle." Percy shudders and thanks Travis. We travel past him and move in the general direction of the house.

"That is Travis, son of Hermes. Watch your pockets when you are around him." Percy warns us. Involuntarily, my hands drift to my pockets. Good. I still have my wallet. More people wave to us, well to Percy, the closer to get to our destination. However, they keep their distance, as though they aren't sure what to do.

When we finally reach the house, Percy points to the steps.

"Stay here. I will be right back. I need to find Chiron and explain what is going on first." I nod and plop myself down on the wooden steps. Parker follows suit. After that, we were left alone. Finally, finally, I feel as though I can take in this information. I see a volleyball court in the distance. A group of people who look to be my age are playing. Up ahead I see people sword fighting, but it doesn't look angry because the two people have a smile on their faces. Their skill though is still perfect.

Gods, I wish I could live here. This seems to be a perfect place. I can just imagine myself fighting monsters, practicing swordplay, and being important. I would matter and I would make a difference in the world.

That's when a person tapped my shoulder. I jumped up and whirled around. It was the guy from before, Travis. He was laughing. Why was he laughing?

"What are you doing?" I demand.

"Relax dude. I was just getting your attention. You seriously need to work on your reflexes."

"Yeah, well, okay." I finish lamely.

"Hi. I'm Connor." The person says, sticking out their hand. Confused, I shake it.

"I thought you were Travis. We just talked to you." I say to him. He begins to shake his head.

"No, you met my brother. That was Travis. And no we are not twins, we just really closely resemble each other." Well that answered my question. "What are you guys doing here?" I glance to Parker, unsure if we are allowed to say. So I go with the safe answer.

"I don't know. Percy didn't say much." Parked nods his head in affirmation.

"Oh. Are you sure you aren't a demigod?" Connor says.

"Fairly. I haven't had anything weird happen to me. And Percy had to invite us over the border. He said that mortals couldn't cross, so I am assuming that means I am mortal." I say with slight disappointment.

"Ah, well. Where is Percy now?" I start talking to Connor and the longer it does on, the more people show up. Soon, Parker, Connor, and I are surrounded by a large group of teenagers. They don't do much, just act as if they are listening me explain how I know Percy. Speaking of him, where is he? Because he hasn't come back yet.

The closer the crowd got to us, the more uneasy I felt. I didn't quite know what to do. How could one tell a group of heavily armed teenagers to back off? A sudden flash of resentment flashed through me at Percy. How could he just leave us here? Was this some kind of cruel joke? Leaving the new people out to dry? Because it isn't very funny. I share a glance with Parker who seems to have the same sentiments.

There is a sudden noise behind me. It sounds like a horse walking and before I can turn around a shadow falls over me. The crowd grows quiet immediately and suddenly stand up, straight and proper.

"I believe you all have activities to do." The voice says, calming and authoritative all at the same time. The crowd disperses quickly and it is just Parker and I sitting on the steps. Slowly I turn around and to my surprise, a centaur stands before me. His face is kind and I can't help but trust him.

"Hello, Colin, Parker." He nods to both of us. "I am Chiron. Percy has been telling me what is going on. Come with me. We need to talk."

**A/N: What did you guys think? Sorry it is a filler. There were a lot of details I sort of wanted to include and to have them all in one chapter would have meant no update today. This was written in just over an hour, so I do apologize for any mistakes. **

**Thanks to all who reviewed. They mean a lot to me. So, speaking of which, please review. Let me know what I can work on. That is the whole reason why I post on here. I just want to get better. Love it or hate it, let me know. **


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